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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — a leader
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spring — of water
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. safe — a strongbox

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