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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to confront
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — a cup
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. charge — in control
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — to paddle
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — a price
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — a break
  24. face — part of the head

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