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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — a thing
  5. charge — in control
  6. object — to protest
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — a price
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — a trail
  18. object — an aim
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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