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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rush — hurry
  21. court — of a king
  22. staff — employees
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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