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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. shower — rain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. present — there
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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