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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. swing — 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