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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ground — a position
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  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