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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — to bend
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. capital — money
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — in control

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