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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. toast — bread
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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