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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — finally
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mate — a friend
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — the animal

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