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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — the earth
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — a position
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — in football
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — in geometry

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