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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — happy
  4. capital — money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — a price
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. capital — a city
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. last — final
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. last — to go on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — a strongbox

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