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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pass — a permit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. prune — the fruit

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