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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — goods
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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