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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — electricity
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rule — a law
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — government
  24. band — a music group

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