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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. drill — army training
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cue — a hint
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — for pool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — a signal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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