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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — finally
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. charge — electricity
  18. last — to go on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rush — hurry
  24. last — final

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