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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fall — the season
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. charge — in control
  24. row — a line

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