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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. suit — to fit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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