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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — rain
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spring — of water
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pass — a permit

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