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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. shower — rain
  24. racket — for tennis

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