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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kid — child
  11. staff — employees
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in a prison

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