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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rock — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — lets stay

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