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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. row — to paddle
  7. clip — a video
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — to cut
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. arm — a part of something

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