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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — there
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — help
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — a law
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. present — the time now
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — electricity

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