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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — a trail
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rule — government
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. capital — money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a city
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rule — a law

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