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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — a match
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — to eat with

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