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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. object — a thing
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. suit — to fit
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — to protest
  17. suit — clothes
  18. object — an aim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — to lash out

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