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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — there
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — the time now
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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