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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stock — shares
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chair — a leader
  8. object — an aim
  9. clip — a video
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. clip — for paper
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — to rob
  22. plane — a tool
  23. clip — to cut
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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