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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — army training

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