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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — a safe
  24. charge — a price

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