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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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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: mug · drill · can · craft · hide · rule · charge · sharp

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — boats
  5. rule — a law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — clever
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — a face
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mug — to rob
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — government
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — electricity

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