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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. present — there
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fall — the season
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. present — a gift
  18. season — of the year
  19. drill — a practice
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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