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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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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: race · net · lean · drill · bowl · toast · charge · kick

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — in sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. race — humankind
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. toast — bread
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. drill — army training
  20. net — for catching
  21. kick — in football
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. race — a contest
  24. bowl — a dish

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