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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spring — a coil
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — a lid
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spring — the season
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — to drop

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