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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — all right
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rule — government
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to bend
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — to roll

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