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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. safe — a strongbox

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