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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — electricity

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