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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — a song
  5. mug — to rob
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. last — final
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — the cause
  19. last — to go on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mug — a face
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to rest against

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