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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chair — a leader
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. staff — employees
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. present — there
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. present — the time now
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. roll — a list

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