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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rash — a series
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — tied together
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — letters
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. scale — in music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bound — certain

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