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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 124 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. last — finally
  7. face — to confront
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — a city
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. charge — a price
  15. rock — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. craft — boats
  19. capital — money
  20. last — final
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — a path
  23. last — to go on
  24. fall — to drop

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