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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. kick — in football
  3. row — a line
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — to protest
  6. charge — in control
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tear — to rip
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. firm — decided
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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