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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. charge — in control
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — a series
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a line of people
  19. face — part of the head
  20. file — a document
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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