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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — army training
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. shower — rain

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