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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — a price
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. row — a line
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — an aim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. game — a match
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. object — a thing
  24. charge — in control

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