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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a car

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