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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — of water
  17. row — to paddle
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — a line
  20. object — a thing
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. row — a quarrel

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