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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chest — a box
  3. drill — army training
  4. suit — in cards
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — clothes
  14. drill — the tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — a short time

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