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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — the time now
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — music

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