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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in biology
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rule — a law
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — a path
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. drill — army training
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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