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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. drill — army training
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — in cards
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — electricity

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