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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bat — the animal
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — a video
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bat — for baseball

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