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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.

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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. roll — a list
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bore — to drill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. last — final
  24. roll — a cake

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