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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — a box
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a hole
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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