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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — a leader
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — a city
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. capital — a big letter

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