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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. drill — army training
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — a committee
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to click
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — in control
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — a practice

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