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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spring — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — a country
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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