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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — high quality
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chair — a professorship

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