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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stock — goods
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. patient — a sick person

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