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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. file — a document
  3. kid — child
  4. charge — a price
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. charge — in control
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — of water
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spring — the season

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