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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kid — to tease
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — child
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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