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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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468
Word bank
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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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 — a practice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. drill — army training
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — a stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — in control

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