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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a committee
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. firm — a company
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — to get on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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