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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — help
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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