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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — army training
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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