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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. club — a group
  9. rest — a break
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — for dancing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — a measure
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — the bottom

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