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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — a leader
  3. present — the time now
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. degree — an amount
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — there
  20. court — of a king
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. present — a gift
  24. staff — employees

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