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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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Word bank
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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — a phone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wound — an injury

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