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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — the tool
  7. present — there
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — a hole
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — in music
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — for a lock

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