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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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — an aim
  4. band — a music group
  5. drill — a practice
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. bass — low music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. object — to protest
  19. drill — army training
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a ring
  24. arm — a part of something

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