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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — in football
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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