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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. firm — a company
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — a stone
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — steady

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