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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — a price

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