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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — crushed
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. calf — a young animal

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