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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · bay · drill · charge · capital · mate · saw · dip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — in cards
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. drill — a practice
  12. dip — to sink
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — in control
  15. hand — help
  16. mate — a friend
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. capital — a city
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. capital — a big letter

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