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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. charge — in control
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. object — a thing
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — clever

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