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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — finally
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. roll — a list
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. drill — army training
  24. roll — on a roll

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