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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — in control
  5. stand — to bear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. charge — electricity
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — a price
  24. stand — for spectators

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