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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — final
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — to bear
  7. last — finally
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kid — child
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — a price
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. land — a country
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. last — to go on

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