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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 116 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: squash · charge · chair · rock · fan · scale · clip · bear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — in control
  19. clip — for paper
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — a video
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — for weighing

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