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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — electricity
  3. court — of law
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a document
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. chest — of your body
  16. court — for sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — army training
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — of a king

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