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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wax — to grow
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. drill — army training
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — electricity
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — decided
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — to keep secret

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