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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.

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chair — a leader
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — of ice
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cap — a lid
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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