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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — bread
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — a price
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — a series
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — a weight
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. key — in music

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