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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chair — a leader
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — clothes
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wind — moving air
  18. march — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — on a finger

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