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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — certain
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — after costs

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