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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — a practice
  5. band — a ring
  6. chest — a box
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. drill — the tool

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