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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — of the year
  13. charge — in control
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wind — moving air

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