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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — the season
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spell — letters

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