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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cap — a lid
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — to come down
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — music
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — ground
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com