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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. last — finally
  6. object — an aim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — a permit
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — there
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. row — a line
  22. charge — in control
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — the time now

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