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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — after costs
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bore — gave birth

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