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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. last — final
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — in a road

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