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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — decided
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. charge — a price
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a word
  8. chair — a leader
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. firm — steady
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wax — to grow
  17. swing — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — in control

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