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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. mug — a face
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — the season
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  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