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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. craft — boats
  6. press — to push
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — to tease
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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