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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.

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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cabinet — ministers

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