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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kid — child
  3. suit — to fit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — in cards
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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