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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — final
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. land — to come down
  18. last — finally
  19. land — a country
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a leader
  24. land — ground

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