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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. row — a line
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mine — for digging
  14. field — for sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. swing — music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. field — a subject
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. swing — to play on

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