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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: hide · firm · cell · sharp · season · straw · drill · club

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cell — a phone
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. club — for golf
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. season — of the year
  23. cell — in biology
  24. drill — the tool

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