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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — a series
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rock — music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — the season
  23. kick — in football
  24. rash — hasty

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