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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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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: hide · drill · charge · wake · racket · degree · stick · object

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — to protest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — in control
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — to keep secret

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