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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — a break
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — the tool

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