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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — to be able to
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — soda
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

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