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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. drill — a practice
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — a hat
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. key — for a lock
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cap — of ice

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