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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — in football
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — a position
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — a thrill

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