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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — an aim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. object — to protest
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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