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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — there
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — electricity
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a line of people
  23. present — the time now
  24. file — a document

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