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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 124 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — from crying
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. current — happening now

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