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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: charge · leaves · snap · object · saw · pitch · chair · tear

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. charge — a price
  20. object — to protest
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. saw — the tool

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