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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fork — in a road
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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