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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. staff — a stick
  6. face — to point toward
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — all right
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — a price
  24. nail — for a hammer

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