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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — the tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a committee
  14. chair — a leader
  15. drill — a practice
  16. present — a gift
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — there

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