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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — army training
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — a price
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — in control

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