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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a face
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. board — to get on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mug — a cup

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