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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cell — in biology
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — hasty

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