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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — to wash
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — a partner
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mate — to breed
  9. toast — bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rash — a series
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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