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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — in control
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a face
  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