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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rock — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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