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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — a measure
  3. drill — army training
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — all right
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — finally
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fine — high quality
  24. last — final

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