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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. march — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — child
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — army training
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — a big deal

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