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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — army training
  22. net — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — a practice

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