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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — a container
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. file — a line of people
  16. drill — army training
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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