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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a leader
  13. club — a group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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