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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cold — not warm
  5. club — for dancing
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — a permit
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cold — an illness
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. club — for golf
  17. charge — a price
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. club — a group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — a division

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