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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — happening now
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on

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