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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. charge — a price
  2. last — to go on
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. last — final
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — to come down
  19. charge — in control
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — a country
  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