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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. capital — money
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chair — to sit on

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