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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — a gift
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — there
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. present — the time now
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bank — of a river

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