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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — a gift
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. present — the time now
  15. firm — steady
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — a hint
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mark — a trace

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