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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bound — certain
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chest — a box
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — tied together
  24. sharp — clever

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