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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a document
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — electricity
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — a price
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to click
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bass — low music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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