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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — boats
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — shares
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a hint
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. object — an aim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — a thing
  23. drill — army training
  24. fan — a supporter

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