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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. ground — a position
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — a country
  7. kick — in football
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chair — a leader

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