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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — in control
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — to tease
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — child
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. face — to confront

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