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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chest — of your body
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — to paddle
  8. swing — in golf
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — a box
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. row — a line
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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