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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to click
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a leader
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. staff — a stick

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