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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — wild animals

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