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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.

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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: fall · key · drill · bat · stick · pit · shower · bay

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fall — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — a horse colour

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