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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — final
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. season — in sport
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. season — of the year

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