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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kick — in football
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for golf
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bound — obliged
  18. club — a group
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. drill — army training
  24. fan — a supporter

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