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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — all right
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — to hurry

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