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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — in music
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — tied together
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — to sit on

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