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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. drill — army training
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — a law

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