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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — a stick
  14. charge — in control
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. rock — a stone

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