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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — to recline
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mug — a face
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — a box
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mug — a cup

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