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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fall — the season
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — army training
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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