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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — a break
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — a price
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — a leader
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — an illness
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — the tool

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