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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. object — to protest
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — the amount
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — belonging to me

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