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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kid — child
  6. suit — in cards
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — of the year
  9. mug — a face
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. drill — a practice
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — in sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kick — in football
  23. mug — a cup
  24. branch — of a tree

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