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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. snap — to click
  7. chair — a leader
  8. current — electric
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. current — happening now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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