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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rule — a law
  8. charge — in control
  9. face — to confront
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. charge — a price
  14. bat — the animal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — government
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rule — to rule out

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