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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — army training
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. drill — a practice

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