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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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468
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — for a hammer

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