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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · wind · object · bat · rest · lean · charge · deal

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. charge — a price
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. object — an aim
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — thin
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — a break
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pit — a hole

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