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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — decided
  3. branch — a division
  4. drill — the tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. charge — in control
  11. firm — a company
  12. kid — to tease
  13. firm — steady
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. row — to paddle
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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