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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rest — a break
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — high quality

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