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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. land — ground
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — to come down
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — a practice
  10. land — a country
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. bass — the fish

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