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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. charge — in control
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a face
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — a line
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — a price
  24. season — in sport

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