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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. firm — a company
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to click
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mate — a partner
  23. firm — steady
  24. hide — animal skin

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