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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — to crush
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. swing — in golf
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — to play on

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