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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — electricity
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — final
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — to go on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — finally
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — of water

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