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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. object — to protest
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. object — a thing
  6. can — to be able to
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — a leader
  10. drill — army training
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — electricity
  13. roll — a list
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — in control
  21. roll — a cake
  22. charge — a price
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. can — a tin

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