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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. firm — steady
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — a company
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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