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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — to protest
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mate — a partner
  10. object — an aim
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. object — a thing
  17. row — a line
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — to breed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — a phone

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