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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — to fit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — to go away
  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