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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — a box
  9. object — an aim
  10. chest — of your body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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