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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — a law
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — in music
  20. rule — government
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a leader

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