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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — to wash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. staff — a stick
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — rain
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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