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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — electricity
  22. row — to paddle
  23. charge — a price
  24. row — a line

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