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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rule — a law
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. spell — magic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — government
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — ministers

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