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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — the season
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. mouse — for a computer

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