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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. charge — in control
  2. fall — the season
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. charge — a price
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  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