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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — hasty
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — to bear
  11. charge — a price
  12. chest — of your body
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chest — a box
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — a law

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