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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — clothes
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — government
  16. clip — for paper
  17. track — a path
  18. clip — a video
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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