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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — an illness
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cold — not warm
  10. object — a thing
  11. kid — child
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — an aim
  20. board — a committee
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. cap — a lid

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