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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — size or range
  14. current — electric
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — happening now

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