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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — to paddle
  24. safe — out of danger

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