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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. charge — in control
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — a box
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chest — of your body
  12. land — ground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — electricity

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