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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a match
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spell — letters

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