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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. craft — boats
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — to bend
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chest — a box
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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