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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — to put up with

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