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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. drill — army training
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — to wash
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — a thrill

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