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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cabinet — ministers

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