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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — a break
  8. cap — a hat
  9. press — newspapers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — a lid
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — to push
  22. last — finally
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — a trail

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