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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — decided
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — a box
  13. march — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. march — the month
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — to sink

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