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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. drill — army training
  4. face — to confront
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rash — hasty
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — a series
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — electricity
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mate — a partner
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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