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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. current — happening now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — for a hammer

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