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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — a phone
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — in biology
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — size or range
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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