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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · sharp · squash · coach · deal · hand · temple · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — clever
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. drill — army training
  7. tube — a container
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — in cards
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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