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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cell — a phone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — a trail
  17. drill — army training
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — a jug

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