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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chest — a box
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. race — humankind
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — a contest
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. kick — a thrill

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