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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. court — of law
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  24. staff — a stick

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