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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: sharp · lie · shower · root · charge · race · drill · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — a contest
  12. drill — the tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. charge — in control
  19. root — of a plant
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. shower — to wash
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lie — to recline

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