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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fall — the season
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — to tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — a price
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bore — to drill
  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