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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a lid
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. patient — a sick person

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