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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chip — for betting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — a leader
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ruler — a monarch

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