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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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