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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — rain
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — for catching
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — army training

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