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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · chair · charge · ball · net · safe · hide · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — a price
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — in control

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