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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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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — army training
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — to go on
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — final
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. charge — a price
  24. drill — a practice

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