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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. object — to protest
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chest — a box
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. object — an aim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. rash — a series

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