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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. content — happy
  3. chest — a box
  4. mate — a friend
  5. charge — in control
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — of the year
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — a company
  14. content — the amount
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. can — to be able to
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — decided
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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