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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a line
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. drill — the tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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