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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — army training
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — a practice

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