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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chest — a box
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a leader
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. safe — out of danger

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