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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. row — a line
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pit — a hole
  22. stem — to come from
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. drill — army training

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