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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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