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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mouse — the animal

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