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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — decided
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. track — a path
  10. firm — steady
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — a company
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — a leader
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a song
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — to keep track

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