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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chest — a box
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. march — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a great time

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