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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a path
  5. charge — electricity
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a line
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lean — to bend
  24. row — a quarrel

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