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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. band — a ring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — to protest
  17. shower — rain
  18. deal — to handle
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a rubber band

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