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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — a video
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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