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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. current — happening now
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. current — of water
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — of the year
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — in football
  21. current — electric
  22. firm — a company
  23. charge — in control
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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