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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — boats
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spell — letters
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. staff — employees

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