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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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 — a practice
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tear — from crying
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. drill — army training
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  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