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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fall — the season
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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