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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — to come down
  4. toast — bread
  5. land — a country
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chest — a box
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — ground

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