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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. firm — decided
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. firm — steady
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — a company
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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