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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — steady
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — a law
  12. bat — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — a price

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