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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — magic
  5. toast — bread
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — a price
  16. chair — a leader
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. charge — in control
  24. chair — a professorship

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