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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. clip — for paper
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — a price
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — a video
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a document
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rule — to rule out

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