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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — to paddle
  14. track — a path
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. row — a line
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. firm — a company
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a song

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