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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a line
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to click
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. chair — a leader
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cap — of ice
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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