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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — a video
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — for tennis

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