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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a document
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — to sit on

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