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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to point toward
  3. row — a line
  4. mine — for digging
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kid — to tease
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — child
  19. face — to confront
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — the month

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