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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — to crush
  7. net — for catching
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — a stick
  24. net — after costs

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