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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. track — a song
  3. present — there
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fall — the season
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. game — a match
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — in music

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