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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — ground
  14. charge — in control
  15. current — happening now
  16. rash — a series
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — in geometry

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