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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. craft — boats
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. toast — bread
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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