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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. suit — to fit
  24. charge — in control

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