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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — a leader
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fork — in a road
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a professorship

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