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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.

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: charge · cold · rock · pop · present · kick · season · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — electricity
  8. present — the time now
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — of the year
  11. pop — music
  12. present — there
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — a gift
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — in control
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cold — not warm
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — a thrill

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