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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — a price
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. pass — a permit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to bend
  15. deal — to handle
  16. scale — in music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ball — a great time

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