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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — thin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — electricity
  14. club — a group
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — a contest
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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