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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — there
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — the time now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chest — a box
  24. rock — music

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