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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. band — a ring
  3. suit — in cards
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fall — the season
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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