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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. swing — music
  3. game — a match
  4. fall — the season
  5. chest — a box
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. pit — in a race
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a face
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. charge — electricity

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