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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the fish
  24. squash — to crush

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