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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bat — for baseball

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