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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — to point toward
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bound — tied together
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a ring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. toast — bread
  23. pop — music
  24. bound — obliged

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