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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — a tool
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rock — a stone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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