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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wound — an injury
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — to bend
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — bread
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. roll — a list
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — a committee
  24. roll — a cake

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