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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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468
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — a break
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — to visit
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — soda
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tear — to rip

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