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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 124 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chair — a leader
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wave — with your hand

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