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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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Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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