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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — a break
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — a series
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. charge — a price
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. drill — army training

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