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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a friend
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — a law
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — the fruit

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