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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chest — a box
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — of water
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitch — completely
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mug — a face
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spring — the season
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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