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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. game — a match
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. shower — rain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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