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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. board — a committee
  3. mate — a friend
  4. season — in sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — to grow
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — to get on

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