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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 leader
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — government
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rule — a law
  8. court — of law
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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