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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lean — thin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — a law
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — happy
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to click
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rule — government
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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