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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — wild animals
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. charge — electricity
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. key — the most important part
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a line of people

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