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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — letters
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — a practice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a song
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — magic

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