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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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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — a price
  24. wave — with your hand

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