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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — rain
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — a trail

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