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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chair — a leader
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — in control
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — electricity
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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