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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spring — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. drill — army training
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — to bear

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