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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. charge — a price
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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