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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — a price
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — a supporter

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