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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — hasty
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. last — final
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — a practice
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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