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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. land — ground
  3. object — a thing
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spring — of water
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a match
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to drill

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