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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lean — to bend
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. firm — a company
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — thin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. firm — decided
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cell — in biology
  23. firm — steady
  24. cell — in a prison

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