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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — a price
  8. tear — from crying
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — in control
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cell — in biology
  23. tear — from crying
  24. last — final

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