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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 124 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — a coil
  5. season — of the year
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. plane — a tool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. row — a line
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — the season
  22. charge — a price
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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