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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chair — a leader
  18. branch — a division
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. charge — a price

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