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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — a leader
  3. file — a tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — thin
  17. file — a document
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — to bend
  24. file — a line of people

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