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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — a lid
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — a price
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. file — a document
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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