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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — a trace
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a professorship

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