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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — a practice
  7. present — a gift
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. present — the time now
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. kid — to tease
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — there
  20. kid — child
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. deal — to handle

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