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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a music group
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — bread
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — on a finger

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