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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pop — soda
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. staff — a stick
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pop — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — to fit

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