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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. dip — to sink

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