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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · ball · race · chair · pass · charge · rush · deal

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — a contest
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — humankind
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — in control
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — thin

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