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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — the season
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a leader
  24. prune — the fruit

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