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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ground — a position
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rule — a law
  22. current — happening now
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — a stick

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