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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. content — happy
  6. row — a line
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — the amount
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — to paddle
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — part of the head

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