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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — in control
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — magic
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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