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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · chair · season · ground · dip · cell · foot · coach

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — a position
  7. chair — a leader
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — thin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ground — crushed
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. season — of the year

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