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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — electricity
  4. board — to get on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. face — to point toward
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — part of the head
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — a price
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to confront
  21. content — happy
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — the amount
  24. file — a line of people

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