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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — a box
  5. chair — a leader
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chest — of your body
  8. key — in music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — a path
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. present — there
  18. key — the most important part
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — a trainer

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