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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a great time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — a coil
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. file — a document
  22. spring — of water
  23. face — to confront
  24. spring — the season

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