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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. charge — in control
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mug — a cup
  20. date — the fruit
  21. drill — army training
  22. charge — a price
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mug — to rob

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