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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kid — child
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — a practice
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — a stick

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