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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ground — a position
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fall — the season
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lash — to lash out

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