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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — soda
  12. charge — in control
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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