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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — a price
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. toast — bread
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mug — a face
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — a company
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. land — ground
  24. rash — a series

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