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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lean — to bend
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a trace
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a leader
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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