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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lean — to bend
  10. charge — electricity
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — a lid
  21. file — a document
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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