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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — a leader
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — to breed

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