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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — the season
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — a price
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — to turn a key

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