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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — there
  5. charge — in control
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — a series
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — a price
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. present — the time now

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