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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — a song
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — a price
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — in control
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — a path
  17. current — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — thin
  21. current — electric
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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