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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
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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: charge · pop · lean · spell · firm · chair · tear · mate

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pop — soda
  3. lean — thin
  4. firm — a company
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — steady
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — a price
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — letters
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — to rest against

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