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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. bound — certain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a committee
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — a video
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — to cut
  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