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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — a box
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — in control
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a grade
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. safe — out of danger

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