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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. court — of a king
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — for sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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