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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — magic

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