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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. charge — in control
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — a price
  24. wind — moving air

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