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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. present — a gift
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — the earth
  14. drill — a practice
  15. present — there
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — the time now
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ground — a position
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — to trim

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