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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fall — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. clip — a video
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — happy
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get 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