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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. file — a tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rule — government
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — to move gently

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