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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — a leader
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hand — help
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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