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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. charge — a price
  4. spell — letters
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — a short time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. rule — government
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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