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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. charge — in control
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rash — a series
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — a break
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — for a hammer

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