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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitch — completely
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — a permit
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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