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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — all right
  10. mate — to breed
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chest — a box
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — to hurry

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