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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — a series
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — electric
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fine — a penalty

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