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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bass — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — electric
  7. spell — a short time
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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