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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. mark — a trace
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — to crush
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — a series

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