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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. row — a line
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — of law
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. court — of a king
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — a box
  23. charge — a price
  24. rush — hurry

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