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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. charge — in control
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — to go away

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