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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. content — the amount
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. shower — to wash
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. drill — army training
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — to bear
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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