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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — to bear
  18. toast — bread
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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