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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. present — the time now
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — there
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kid — to tease
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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