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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. row — to paddle
  19. sharp — clever
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pass — a permit
  22. row — a line
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — to succeed

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