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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bore — to drill

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