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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chest — of your body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — to get on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. chest — a box
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. board — a committee

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