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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tear — to rip
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. track — a path
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. march — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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