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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. drill — army training
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — music
  9. content — happy
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a song
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — a path
  17. press — a publisher
  18. content — the amount
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — to push
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — a company

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