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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — army training
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — in control
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — the fish
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to click
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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