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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — the tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. last — finally
  11. bank — of a river
  12. toast — bread
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — rain

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