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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. object — a thing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bound — certain

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