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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — electricity
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. file — a line of people
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — clothes

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