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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — happy
  3. chair — a leader
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — a contest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — a break
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. charge — electricity

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