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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bound — certain
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — decided
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. court — for sport
  24. plane — a tool

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