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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. drill — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. row — a line
  13. land — ground
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — in control
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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