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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — certain
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ground — a position
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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