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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — there
  6. net — in sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spell — letters
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — after costs
  24. drill — army training

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