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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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