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

Word bank: tear · scale · present · suit · arm · bat · charge · fall

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — there
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bat — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tear — from crying
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. tear — to rip
  23. scale — in music
  24. charge — electricity

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