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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — help
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. suit — in cards

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