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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — army training
  10. foot — a measure
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — in a road

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