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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — a price
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — electric
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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