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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — electric
  12. present — there
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — child
  20. present — the time now
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — a gift

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