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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — a price
  17. chest — a box
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — in control
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hide — to keep secret

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