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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · saw · snap · charge · chair · dip · present · pit

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — a gift
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to click
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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