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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — in music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. swing — to play on
  21. game — a match
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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