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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 116 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: rash · chair · cabinet · mark · cold · saw · present · game

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cold — not warm
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — the time now
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — hasty
  11. present — a gift
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — there
  16. game — a match
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rash — a series
  24. chair — a leader

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