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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. can — a tin
  4. charge — in control
  5. spring — the season
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lean — to bend
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — a price
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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