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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — electric
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — of water
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — child
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. charge — a price
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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