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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. bore — to drill
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — a song
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a document
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — an agreement

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