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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kid — child
  4. board — to get on
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to sink
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rule — a law
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rule — government
  24. board — a committee

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