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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — rain
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rule — government
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. present — there
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — the time now
  24. spell — letters

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