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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — electricity
  5. drill — army training
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fork — in a road
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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