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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — to point toward
  3. charge — a price
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — army training
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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