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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — a series
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mine — for digging
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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