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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. row — to paddle
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to sink
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — army training
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cue — for pool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a signal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — a hint

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