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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chest — a box
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chest — of your body
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — to sink
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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