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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — in control
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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