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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — a coil
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — music

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