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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — to breed
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — humankind
  20. last — to go on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — final
  24. charge — a price

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