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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — letters
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — in control
  7. race — humankind
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — magic
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — a phone
  18. race — a contest
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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