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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cap — a lid
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — to rob

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