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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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 leader
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — to sit on

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