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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bound — certain
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — thin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. firm — decided
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — to sit on

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