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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a friend
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — a practice
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. stem — to come from
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a partner
  17. key — in music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — a stick
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. staff — employees

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