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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. band — a ring
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. land — a country
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. charge — in control
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — a safe
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. land — ground
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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