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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — a leader
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — a series
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — the tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. drill — army training
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. rash — hasty
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. snap — to click
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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