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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ball — a great time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cold — an illness
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. charge — electricity
  18. plane — a tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. dip — to sink
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cold — not warm

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