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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — crushed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — a price
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — to bear
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — the earth

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