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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — government
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — finally
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — to go on
  23. swing — to play on
  24. hand — help

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