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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mate — a friend
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a partner
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mate — to breed
  19. drill — the tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pound — for dogs

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