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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — the season
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — to get on
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a committee
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a lid
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chair — a leader
  19. game — a match
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — animal skin

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