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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. lean — thin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chest — a box
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rest — a break
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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