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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — a cup
  7. drill — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. capital — a city
  10. mug — a face
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — to rob
  13. capital — money
  14. board — to get on
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. shower — rain
  24. trunk — of a tree

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