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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 116 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: deal · pitch · lean · mug · drill · tear · rash · march

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. tear — from crying
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — completely
  17. march — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — to bend

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