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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. drill — a practice
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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