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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. net — in sport
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — a garden tool

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