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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. drill — the tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — a practice
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — decided
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — for digging
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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