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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. drill — army training
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bowl — a football final

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