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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stock — goods
  11. charge — electricity
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — a city
  22. last — to go on
  23. capital — money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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