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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — magic
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — a break
  10. last — final
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spell — letters
  15. last — to go on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — soda

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