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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lean — thin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to bend
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stand — to bear
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. jam — in traffic

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