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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a line
  4. present — there
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — certain
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. present — the time now
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chair — a leader
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — electricity

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