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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — a law
  11. row — to paddle
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. deal — a big deal

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