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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — the sport
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — army training
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — a garden tool

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