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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. firm — a company

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