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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. scale — size or range
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — there
  8. scale — in music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to click
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — army training
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pop — soda

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