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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — a practice
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. drill — army training
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tear — from crying

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