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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — a leader
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. foot — a measure

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