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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. net — in sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — a short time
  7. shower — rain
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. net — for catching
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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