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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.

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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. charge — electricity
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a committee
  14. rule — government
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. face — part of the head
  18. march — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. charge — a price
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — for a hammer

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