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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for golf
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — of a river
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — a video
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — the fruit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — to cut

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