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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — the season
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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