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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chair — a leader
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — in control
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — a line
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — shares

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