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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. present — there

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