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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. club — a group
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — electricity
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. rush — hurry

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