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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — in control
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. suit — clothes
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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