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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — to wash
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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