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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: lie · hand · rash · object · net · chair · wind · charge

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — part of the body

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