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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. face — to confront
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — hasty
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — in control
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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