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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — a contest
  10. file — a document
  11. drill — the tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — an explosive

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