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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. present — a gift
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — there
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. present — the time now

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