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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — rain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rest — what's left
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chair — a leader
  12. present — a gift
  13. row — a line
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — a break
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. present — there
  24. shower — to wash

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