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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: drill · spell · present · row · patient · firm · object · jam

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — army training
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. firm — decided
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. firm — steady
  17. present — there
  18. object — a thing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. patient — a sick person

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