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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — thin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — the tool

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