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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — a committee
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — letters
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — magic
  22. charge — electricity
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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