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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — an aim
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — a thing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — there
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. object — to protest
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tear — to rip
  15. present — the time now
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — of the year
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — from crying

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