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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spring — a coil
  5. object — a thing
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — of water
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — employees
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mark — a trace

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