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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fine — high quality
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. staff — a stick
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ball — a dance
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — to confront
  22. charge — a price
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a great time

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