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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — a practice
  7. shower — rain
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mug — a face
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. shower — to wash

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