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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. suit — to fit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. present — the time now
  5. object — an aim
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a line
  10. suit — clothes
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — a thing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cell — in biology
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — there
  17. object — to protest
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — to paddle
  20. charge — in control
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — in cards

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