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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. land — ground
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. can — a tin

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