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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a line of people
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a music group
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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