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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.

Make a worksheet

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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. staff — employees

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