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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. court — for sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cold — not warm
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. charge — in control
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pass — a permit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — of law
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of a king

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