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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — to confront
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a hint
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. present — a gift
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — there
  24. cue — for pool

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