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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chair — a leader
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. sharp — clever
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. root — of a word
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. root — the cause
  24. sharp — exactly

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