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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — a company
  8. charge — electricity
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — a line
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — in control
  14. row — to paddle
  15. firm — steady
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — a leader
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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