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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — steady
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to drill
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to tire

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