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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 112 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — magic
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — the season
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of a car

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