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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. charge — a price
  5. mug — a face
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lean — thin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lean — to bend
  15. swing — music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to rest against

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