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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a leader
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. capital — money

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