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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. net — in sport
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — an aim
  15. kick — in football
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. object — to protest
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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