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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — thin
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — ground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — to come down

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