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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.

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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: rest · face · kid · drill · fine · stick · charge · racket

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — in control
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — to confront
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — child
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fine — all right
  24. charge — a price

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