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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. last — to go on
  2. drill — army training
  3. craft — boats
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. last — finally
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — to recline
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — a face
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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