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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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