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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — music
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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