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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. drill — army training
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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