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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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 — the tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — army training
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — a practice
  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