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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — to bend
  4. field — for sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — to bear
  14. field — farmland
  15. drill — a practice
  16. field — a subject
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spell — letters

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