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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — hurry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — goods
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stock — shares
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wax — for sculpting

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