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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. charge — a price
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. drill — army training
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — in control
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. degree — an amount

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