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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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Word bank
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cue — for pool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spring — the season
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spring — a coil

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