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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rule — a law
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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