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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chest — a box
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — 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