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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mine — for digging
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to point toward
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — a price
  24. pound — for dogs

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