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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rash — a series
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — army training
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. staff — employees

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