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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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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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 — to sit on
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — steady
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — decided
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — in music
  22. firm — a company
  23. wave — with your hand
  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