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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. firm — decided
  11. snap — to click
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rock — music
  16. drill — army training
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. file — a document
  24. drill — a practice

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