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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — a price
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rule — a law

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