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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chair — a leader
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. toast — bread
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cold — not warm
  12. spell — magic
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cold — an illness
  21. object — an aim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. chair — a professorship

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