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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. drill — army training
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — certain
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bound — tied together
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — a line

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