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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — for digging
  6. board — a committee
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chair — a leader
  11. land — a country
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. board — to get on

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