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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — in control
  3. kid — to tease
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — to get on
  7. charge — a price
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — money
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a city
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. capital — a big letter

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