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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. file — a document
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kid — to tease
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — bread
  13. mate — a partner
  14. charge — in control
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a cake

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