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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. foot — a measure
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to click
  17. march — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — a break
  23. mate — to breed
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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