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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — to fit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cold — not warm
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. suit — in cards

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