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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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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: rush · bat · charge · snap · can · date · drill · pass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — the fruit
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — in control

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