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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. firm — a company
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. drill — a practice
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — for pool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — a sauce

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