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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — steady
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a face
  8. last — final
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — decided
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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