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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mate — a partner
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — in control

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