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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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