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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 120 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
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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: row · drill · fan · march · snap · charge · chip · suit

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — for betting
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — a price
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — army training
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — clothes

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