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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — in music
  4. snap — to click
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — letters
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. chair — a leader
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — a short time

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