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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — thin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — a measure
  24. charge — a price

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