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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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