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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — the season
  7. scale — in music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rule — government
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. present — there
  16. hand — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — a coil
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — a law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hand — help

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