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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — in football
  6. fork — in a road
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in biology
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — certain
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — a phone

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