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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — to put up with

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