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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — electricity
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cell — in biology
  15. charge — a price
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — in a prison

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