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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ball — a dance
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a round shape

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