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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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 professorship
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — to bear
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. shower — rain
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — a weight
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — for a computer

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