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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cap — a hat
  16. suit — to fit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — boats
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — a coil

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