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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — a break
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. root — the cause
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a partner

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