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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kick — in football
  10. shower — rain
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. current — electric
  14. swing — music
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — in a road

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