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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — a division
  16. season — of the year
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — soda
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — to add flavour
  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