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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mate — to breed
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — to confront
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — in control
  20. fork — in a road
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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