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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — finally
  4. file — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. present — there
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a document
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — hasty
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to drill
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a line of people

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