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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — a series
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — to handle
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — in control

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