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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. saw — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. drill — army training
  15. content — happy
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — rain
  24. saw — the tool

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