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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. march — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bat — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. foot — a measure
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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