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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — of the year
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. drill — army training
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — a thing
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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