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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — a measure
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mug — a face
  13. charge — in control
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — all right
  23. hand — help
  24. firm — steady

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