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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kid — child
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. toast — bread
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fine — all right
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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