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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cell — in biology
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. hand — help
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — clothes

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