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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — of the year

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