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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. scale — in music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — a tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. scale — size or range

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