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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — in music
  4. fall — the season
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cue — a hint
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — a gift

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