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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — in sport
  4. last — final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. last — to go on
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — a price
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — after costs
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — clever

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