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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — in cards
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rush — hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — a practice
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the skin

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