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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.

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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a face
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — there
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — the time now

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