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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. last — final
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — in control
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tear — to rip
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — to go on
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — a price
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — in sport
  24. last — finally

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