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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. roll — a list
  4. drill — army training
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — a series
  9. row — a line
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — a break
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. bat — the animal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — on a roll

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