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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — final
  5. charge — a price
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. staff — a stick
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — a song
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — a path

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