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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — part of the body

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