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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — a line
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stand — to bear
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. charge — in control

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