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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mug — to rob
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mug — a face
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — in music

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