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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — a contest
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — the tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — final
  20. file — a document
  21. last — finally
  22. race — the arms race
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bore — to tire

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