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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. scale — in music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chair — a leader
  20. present — a gift
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — of ice
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — certain

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