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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tear — to rip
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a hat

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