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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bat — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — thin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — in an idiom

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