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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — a city
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — money
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — after costs
  24. bound — certain

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