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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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 professorship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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