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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a cake
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stand — to bear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a list
  22. row — a line
  23. kick — a thrill
  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