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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tear — to rip
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — finally
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — army training
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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