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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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