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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fall — to drop
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — to breed
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a path
  24. clip — for paper

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