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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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468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — to bear
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to click

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