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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — in football
  23. cell — in biology
  24. shower — rain

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