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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tear — to rip
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. coach — a trainer

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