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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. roll — a list
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — a company
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — a price
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — steady
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — army training
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. drill — a practice
  21. charge — in control
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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