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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. firm — decided
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. firm — a company
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — a series
  19. bore — to tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — a thrill
  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