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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. roll — a list
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pit — in a race
  13. roll — a cake
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — to bear
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — letters
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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