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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. row — a line
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. charge — in control
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — a price
  24. chest — a box

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