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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — a short time
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. land — a country
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. bound — certain
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chair — a leader

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