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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — in cards
  10. deal — to handle
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. swing — in golf
  14. shower — rain
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — to fit
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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