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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: lean · drill · jam · bowl · present · tear · squash · charge

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. squash — the sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — to rip
  12. charge — in control
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tear — from crying

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