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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — hurry
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — rain
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. object — to protest
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — an aim
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. capital — money
  24. foot — a measure

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