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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — to eat
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. charge — electricity
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hand — help

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