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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.

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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — in music
  11. last — final
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — the month
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — a trail
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. last — finally
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — a leader

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