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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — a position
  3. spring — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — a series
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — in control
  24. game — a match

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