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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chair — a leader
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — to bear

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