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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — a group
  24. row — a line

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